A spaza shop owner from KwaNobuhle, in Uitenhage, managed to apprehend one of the armed robbers that had pounced on his shop and also seized a firearm as the other suspect fled.

According to police spokesperson, Sergeant Majola Nkohli, on Wednesday, at around 12:00, it is alleged that two men, one armed with a firearm and another with a knife stormed into a spaza shop in Ntakomlilo Street, KwaNobuhle.

"The two men held an assistant at gunpoint.

"It is said that an owner arrived while a robbery was in progress and wrestled with a suspect armed with a firearm near the shop entrance and managed to grab a firearm away from a suspect," he described.

"It was further said that a second suspect fled the scene on seeing that his accomplice was being overpowered.

"The suspect was arrested and minutes later, he was handed over to the police."

Sgt Nkohli said that a preliminary investigation has revealed that a recovered firearm, .22 revolver was stolen during a house robbery incident in Klapmuts, Western Cape, sometime in February this year.

"27-year-old suspect is due to appear in KwaNobuhle Magistrate's Court on Friday on charges of business robbery, possession of unlicensed firearm," he added.

"The firearm is to be sent to the forensic laboratory for ballistic tests. At this stage, a team of detectives is trying to establish whether a man is not linked with a house robbery incident in the Western Cape or any other robbery incident."

Responding to the 2018/2019 annual Crime Statics released by the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, on Thursday - which also painted a bleak picture about safety in the Eastern Cape province, Premier, Oscar Mabuyane, said there...